WAILUA — Going green took on a whole new meaning for 125 summer school students from Kapa‘a Elementary School, Thursday morning. “We do this every other year,” said Kalei Arinaga, one of the teachers. “The 125 students come from pre-kindergarten
WAILUA — Going green took on a whole new meaning for 125 summer school students from Kapa‘a Elementary School, Thursday morning.
“We do this every other year,” said Kalei Arinaga, one of the teachers. “The 125 students come from pre-kindergarten through grade five.”
Arinaga said the summer school repaints picnic tables at Lydgate Park as part of a service project, but incorporates learning into the project as well.
Paint and paint brushes are supplied by the county through Eddie Sarita, Arinaga said.
“There is one can of paint for one table so the students, broken down into groups, need to figure out how to make the paint last to finish one table,” Arinaga said. “That takes teamwork, working as a group to make decisions.”
But it doesn’t end there, as the tables need to be dried and flipped over before the student teams attack the remaining side, taking advantage of the drying time to enjoy a mid-morning snack.
Learning goes beyond textbooks, Arinaga said, as the student teams work, finding gum and other malicious damage inflicted on the tables.
“It’s good to have the kids come out and work in the community,” Arinaga said. “When they come back with their families, they get to see how the work they do makes a difference as people enjoy the clean tables. And the best part is, they’re all having fun.”
Arinaga said the school performs at least one service project each year, but repainting the picnic tables is staggered to every two years.
Sonny Ibaan, one of four caretakers for Lydgate Park, smiled as he watched the student crews attack their tasks, the groups punctuated with bouts of laughter as “accidents” took place and swatches of green paint found homes other than the intended tables.
“This is great,” Ibaan said. “If no one comes to paint the tables, we get to do it, but this park is so busy, there’s little, or no time to paint, so we’re happy when people come to help.”
Arinaga stopped to admire the ingenuity demonstrated by one student who held up a piece of worn lauhala, its frayed end serving as a paint brush while he waited his turn.
“This is fun,” said Titus Workman, who dunked his hand into the can of paint and used it to slather paint onto one of the benches, finishing the effort by flashing a green shaka. “I’m going to sign up for summer school again next year.”
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
